‘No flight cancellations during airspace shutdown’

MANILA, Philippines — There will be no flight cancellations when the Philippine airspace shuts down tomorrow for maintenance of the uninterrupted power supply or UPS of the country’s air traffic management system, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific announced yesterday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) will close the country’s airspace from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. tomorrow.

From the original six hours, the CAAP shortened the shutdown of Philippine airspace to two hours for the corrective maintenance of the Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) system.

PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said flights departing from Manila during the shutdown period would be allowed to take off and land utilizing one of the two runways at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Cebu Pacific’s corporate communications head Carmina Romero said “our flight schedules would proceed as normal. There will be no adjustments or cancellations.”

Steve Dailisan of AirAsia said the airline canceled six domestic flights: Manila to Davao, Cebu and Bacolod and their turn-around flights.

CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said a new Notice to Airmen was issued to inform stakeholders and the public of the changes in the schedule of the ATMC repair.

Apolonio said contingency measures would be implemented to help minimize disruptions to air traffic operations.